


underwater

by Arzani



Category: One Piece
Genre: M/M, fisherman AU, mermaid au, merman au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-04-27 14:20:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5051788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arzani/pseuds/Arzani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Garp had always believed in mermaids. Even though people laughed at him, he didn't really care, because he could laugh just a little louder. One day, when a storm eclipsed the night, it isn't a mermaid he saves, though, but a merman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	underwater

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PicMurasaki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PicMurasaki/gifts).



> For picmurasaki who loves the couple and who draws the most beautiful art.  
> A big thank you to Aerle, for betaing the story and seriously, this time there was a lot to beta!

Garp had always believed in mermaids. Even though people laughed at him, he didn't really care, because he could laugh just a little louder. Other people's opinions didn't matter to him. He wasn't rich, he wasn't poor. He was a normal fisherman, and the sea was his home, even though people would call his small house his home. It wasn't, it was just the place he slept in … and sometimes he didn't even do that, but slept on his boat instead.

People knew him in Foosha Village. He had been raised there, and never saw a reason to change places. As long as pirates and other scalawags left him and his home in peace, he would remain calm and enjoy life. No need to make any ruckus, even though people laughed at him for believing in mermaids. As he had said, he could laugh louder.

It was a normal day in summer, when his life changed. The day had been warm, almost hot, and even the fish seemed to dive deeper. After the morning had passed, and Garp hadn't even caught one fish worth selling, he decided to just take the day off, maybe fix some of his nets and have some of his beloved crackers.

The day passed without anything worth mentioning, expect that the clouds became more gray and dark as the time passed, and as a man who depended on the sea, Garp knew that a storm would come. The first drops hit the walls of his house by dinnertime, and at night, the fisherman was afraid his roof wouldn't last through the hurricane. But he was even more afraid of his boat, his beloved boat which was his treasure.

People would have called him insane, but no one was outside to judge him, when Garp made his way through the storm to his boat. He checked the ropes which held it when he saw it. There was a person in the water, near the shore, and it didn't look like they was able to cope with the waves. Leaving his boat as it was, Garp started to run, but the wind held him back. When he reached the shore, nearly half an hour had passed, and the person was nowhere to be seen. His eyes scanned the water, but it was the sand he should have looked at. A few meters away was a man, unconsciousness, laying there as if he was dead, half of the body bathing in the wild water.

When Garp noticed him, he didn't hesitate to reach him. Kneeling down and placing his head in Garp’s lap, he scanned the man, who had blond, long hair, strong but handsome features and was wearing nothing but a torn vest and a fishtail… Wait, a fishtail?

Before Garp could really realize what that meant, the other man's lids started to flutter and opened. Releasing his hands from the head of the merman, Garp immediately wanted to back away, but couldn't because it would have caused the man’s head to drop. So all he could do was stare into the eyes of the merman, who gained consciousness again. Garp had never seen such beautiful eyes, he was sure of it. They reminded him of the deep blue sea he called his home, and when the merman realized his head was lying in the lap of another man, he grinned brightly at Garp. Forgotten was the storm, the rain and the wind. Forgotten was the fisherman's boat, which still wasn't safely fixed. Forgotten was everything besides these warm eyes and the grin, this mischievous grin.

“Who are you?” The words left Garp's mouth, but the wind took and carried them away, unheard. But it seemed the merman understood, because his hand darted up and reached for Garp’s head. With a hard pull, he forced Garp to bow, but soon figured he would never be able to bend down as much as it was needed to hear him. The hand dropped again, and now the merman pushed himself up. It happened so fast that Garp nearly had to jump upright again not to bump heads with the other.

It was easy for the merman to push himself up, but when he tried to turn to Garp, he had to move his tail and a pained expression swept across his face. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore it. Then he opened them again, before Garp had been able to move and help him. Again, a hand reached for Garp’s head, and this time there were no restraints and the merman was able to pull Garp towards him. When his mouth was next to Garp's ear, Garp could hear the deep, rolling voice, like thunder.

“Have you seen my son?” he asked, and all Garp could do was shake his head. No, he had not seen another merman, and was astonished by the sudden realization that there were more. Maybe the majority who lived underwater weren’t mermaids, but mermen?

The merman let out a curse, and let go of Garp.. It was obvious he wanted to go back into the sea, and it was the moment Garp snapped. He couldn't allow this. The man was hurt, and maybe he wouldn't drown, but there was still a storm raging, and he could crash on the cliffs. He gripped his upper arm and pulled him back. Garp didn't know if it was out of surprise or because the merman was weak from his injury, but he fell back, with his head to his chest.

“Don't you try that, you idiot. You're hurt,” Garp muttered into his ear and wrapped his arms around the broad back of the merman. He could feel strong muscles under his hands. Something he liked in a man, because it indicated that he wasn't weak and normally could take care of himself. But not now. Now he was hurt.

“I need to find my son!” came the immediate reply, and the merman tried to pry himself loose by placing his hands at Garp's chest. He pushed against it, but Garp just tightened his grip and fought against it. “He could die in that storm!”

“So you wanna go in there, hurt yourself even more and die, too?” Garp shouted back at him, furious of the stubbornness of the other. He would not allow it. “He isn't helped when his father dies trying to protect him!”

“You can't make me sit by idly without doing anything,” the merman cursed and again tried to pry himself loose. Garp had to bring up all his strength to keep on holding the merman. It was then when a lightning bolt struck over the dark sky. The clouds, the water and the world were white for a moment, and everything seemed at halt.

Even though it shouldn't be possible, there was a faint voice, which called out desperately, and both Garp and the merman turned around, to see a young man – or at least it seemed like a young man – drifting helplessly in the water, not too far away, but dangerously close to the cliffs. A moment later Garp could feel the man in his arms jerk, and out of astonishment Garp let go. The merman took the chance to push himself away from his savior and rolled back to the water. His whole stance, his face was distorted in pain, and by now Garp could see a wound on the tail. It was deep red and blood dripped from it, mixing with the water and the sand.

He wasn't thinking, when he hit the head of the merman hard with his fist. For a short moment, the other turned and looked at Garp with wide eyes, then he lost consciousness, maybe also out of pain. Garp grabbed his upper body before the merman could hit the ground hard, and pulled him upwards another bit, so the waves couldn't drag him back into the wild sea. Then he slipped out of his shirt and pulled off his boots, and waded into the water.

The waves were freezing cold, his naked feet slipped on the ground, but Garp didn't care. He had to use a lot of strength to go against the forceful waves, which tried to hinder him from pushing forward, but he managed. When it was deep enough, he leaped into a coming wave and dove under it. His eyes open to see something, he had to focus for a while, because the salt burned as hell. But as a fisherman, he was used to it and he made his way through the water to reach the cliffs and hopefully the son of this merman.

Garp more felt the direction he had to go in than actually seeing something. It was pitch black under the water, it was cold, and he hoped he wouldn't drown in here during the storm. But he knew it would be no use to swim above the surface. The waves would just push him off course all the time and he would have to use too much energy. He only surfaced when he needed air desperately, and these small moments cost so much time that Garp wasn't sure he would make it in time.

Time was something he hadn’t been able to keep track of, but he reached the cliffs eventually. Surfacing again, he sucked in the air and tried to see something. His eyes, though, were useless in the night, and the waves tried to crash him against the cliffs. It was hard to even hold himself above the water surface. Then another lighting blot lit up the world, and he could see the blond hair of the young boy again. He was barely in his teens, maybe twelve or thirteen, Garp wasn't so sure, because he had no idea if age was the same for the people living underwater. It didn't matter at the moment, anyway. With strong strokes, he made his way to the boy, who tried to stay away from the cliffs. He seemed tired, but his eyes were still open. Then he saw Garp, and his expression turned into shock.

Garp knew shouting would be useless, so he tried to indicate with gestures that he was here for help and would bring him back to shore. Even though the boy seemed afraid, after a while, he nodded, and Garp swam to him. His feet started to get tired too, but he had to make it through this, or he would drown here, and this whole attempt would have been for nothing.

It seemed a lifetime, till he reached the boy, even though it was just mere seconds, but finally the merman clung at him. Garp turned him around and placed the hands of the boy on his shoulders. He turned his head slightly, shouting, “You can breathe underwater, right?”

For a moment, there was no reaction, then he could hear a weak, “Yes”. Taking a deep breath, Garp dove underwater again, and made his way to the shore. He would take the shortest way, because he could feel how the edges of his vision became black. Not the black of the darkness underwater, but the black of unconsciousness. He had used too much energy. He was a mere human and no merman. Unfortunately, though, he assumed being able to call the sea his true home would be a blessing.

He had to surface and dive down a few times, and each time it became harder to make his way back up. The waves clung at Garp, and the sea wanted to keep him in its arms. A small part of him wanted just to let go and give in to the temptation of giving up. The boy wouldn't drown and he was away from the cliffs. Maybe his father would wake up and help him, since the boy had fallen asleep by now, and Garp also had to hold him close to him in order not to lose him. But it was the image of the merman at the shore too that made Garp keep on swimming. He wanted to ask the other how it was to live underwater, and he wanted to see those deep, blue eyes again. Not to mention that he was afraid for the merman if he would go back into the water now, with his wound. So Garp kept on fighting against the dark sea and swam, until his feet hit sandy ground beneath them and was able to walk back ashore.

His eyes darted around to find the older merman, while his arms held the boy and dragged him away from the waves, because he was too weak to carry him properly. First of all he wasn't able to find the older merman, but then he saw him, awake, worry written all over his face, but still at the same spot where Garp had left him. Their eyes met for a short moment, and a feeling Garp couldn't explain washed through him. It was fear and joy and excitement and a bond he didn’t understand. The next second it was gone, and the worried expression lit up, because the merman saw that Garp had his son.

It was hard to drag the unconscious merman to his father, but Garp managed somehow, even though his arms and legs, and his whole body felt weak. The other merman tried to crawlto Garp as well, but every move seemed to hurt him, so Garp shook his head and indicated for him to stay where he was. After a while, the other seemed to understand that it wouldn't do him any good and complied.

When Garp reached him, the merman took his son into his arms, a warm expression on his face, and for a short moment, Garp just watched, joy in his chest, because he could feel the happiness that was wavering through the air. Then exhaustion gripped him, and his legs weren't able to hold him anymore. He fell to his knees, and with shocked eyes, the merman turned to him, but was unable to hinder him from falling, because he still held his son.

“No!” he shouted, but it was too late. Garp was on his knees and his eyes fluttered shut. A smile was on his lips when he saw the blue eyes turn gray with worry. They really were like the sea, blue when calm, but gray and dangerous when not. Then darkness gripped him, and he was out.

When Garp woke up again, dots of color danced before his closed eyes. His head hurt, and he felt weak and thirsty. Nonetheless, he was happy, because if he was able to feel pain, he was still alive. He could feel cold sand under him and warm sun on his naked skin. With a little effort, he managed to open his eyes. He saw blue sky and white clouds. It was bright, and he lifted his hand to cover his eyes from the light. Nothing reminded of the storm anymore. Then he heard a voice. A voice like thunder.

“You're finally awake, huh?”

His heart started to beat faster, and Garp pushed himself up. After a moment, strong arms helped him. His gaze hit the merman whom he had found at the shore, smiling at him with a relieved look on his face. His eyes were blue again, a little sparkle in them, as if the sun was playing on the waves.

Garp examined the merman and recognized something that reminded of bandages around his tail where his wound was supposed to be. The material was green, and somehow Garp had the strong feeling these bandages were some kind of algae. Then he noticed that the merman was alone.

“Where's your son?” Garp asked worriedly. If the boy was hurt or gone, all of his actions had been in vain. But a smile appeared on the other man's lips, and he laughed.

“Don't you worry. Marco's with his brothers and safe, thanks to you!” he said, and again Garp was fascinated by the deep, rolling voice. He blinked in irritation, still fascinated by the dark voice, before the information sunk in and he let out a relieved breath. Everything was alright. “This was pretty reckless of you,” the merman added, and Garp grinned and shrugged his shoulders. Maybe it had been reckless, but it had been more reckless if the merman would have gone after his son.

“I can't let a hurt person harm himself more,” he said casually, and again the merman laughed. Somehow, Garp realized that his hands still were on his back, to steady him… and he realized he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Somehow, he didn't really care.

“Not many would do something like it, human,” the merman said, and Garp snorted. Why did his human sound like 'brat'?

“Not many have ever seen a merman,” he replied and again he could hear a laugh. It was like a sweet shudder, which ran down his spine. “How's your tail?”

The question cut off the laughter, and an interested glance hit Garp. The eyes of the merman seemed to intensify, and he didn't even blink once. “It's fine. Some of my sons are doctors. They came here after the storm had subsided, took care of Marco and bandaged my tail.” His voice became a little softer at the end, and Garp's tension vanished. He hadn't been aware there had been any until it left.

“How many sons do you have?” Garp asked after he heard there were actually more than one. The poor wife of the merman had to give birth to more than one. Why didn’t he like the thought of the merman having a wife, anyway? But he only got a laugh again, and somehow Garp wondered if a laugh was just the standard answer he would get to any question.

“I have around three-hundred,” he smirked, and Garp's eyes just widened. What the… But the merman must have seen the shock in his face, because his grin just grew a little wider. “They're my family, but none is related by blood. In the sea, it doesn't matter at all if you are. The boys are outcasts, homeless and forgotten children. I give them a home. They call me father. They're my family.”

Garp didn't understand at all what the merman meant, but he nodded, astonished. It was a good thing to give some lonely souls a home. Many people needed a home, to do more than just survive. Sometimes a home gave you a reason to survive. He was too impressed to answer properly, so he just remained silent.

The silence lasted for a few moments, and Garp took the chance to check his surroundings. He wasn't too far from the part of the beach where he had found the merman, but the place was away from prying eyes. He knew the location, though, because as a fisherman, he was aware of the shore of his home island. He still would have to swim to get back to his house, because the cliffs cut off this part of the beach from the other. Then he spotted his boat, further down, safely lying on the sand. He sighed. Maybe he wouldn’t have to swim.

Garp knew this had been done by the merman, or more likely by one of his sons. He was glad, though, that the boat was alright. Nonetheless, he swiftly found himself looking at the merman again, who sat next to him, still steadying him with his hand. His eyes went over the strong frame, examining the muscles he could see under the vest, the tail, which really looked like the one of a big fish, the blond hair… and these blue eyes. He could drown in them, he was sure of it, as they were deeper than the sea.

He was lost in thought, but after a moment, Garp could hear a sigh and he focused again. The merman grinned, but there was a hint of sadness. With a frown, Garp told him to speak.

“What is wrong?” he asked and again, there was just a laugh. It swiftly trailed off, though.

“I have to go, I guess. It's not good for merman to stay with human for too long,” he told him and made ready to leave. Garp could feel how the hand at his back was pulled away and he immediately missed it. He could understand that the merman had to go, he had sons to watch over, but he didn't understand why they weren't allowed to stay with humans.

“Why?” he asked, rather bluntly, and the merman sighed again. His hand raised, and the next moment, Garp could feel soft skin against his cheek. Warm fingers brushed over it, caressing him, before they stroked his lips and vanished again. His heart pounded just a little faster.

“Because we're not made to stay at land, and you're not made to stay in the water… even though yesterday you showed perfectly well that you don't care about that. However, I need to go,” he answered his question, and Garp was sure he wasn't just imagining the sad tone in the thunder-like voice.

When the merman pulled himself back into the water, Garp didn't hinder him from doing so, even though he didn't like the explanation. He couldn't agree with it, but he wasn't sure how to argue. He just hoped he could make up his mind by the time he would see the merman again. Then it suddenly hit him that he had no idea if he would see him again and he jerked. The other was in the water by now, but Garp just shouted.

“Wait!” he yelled, and the merman turned around, waves playing around his body. His eyes indicated the fisherman to go on with speaking. “Will I see you again?”

Again there was a laugh, but no answer. But it had sounded happy, and Garp's heart just jumped a little. Then, before the merman could turn again, another question shot through his mind. “What's your name?”

“Newgate,” was the answer and then he dove under and was gone. Only the sun and the waves and the little swirl at the water reminded of the merman. With a thud, Garp let himself fall on his back at the sand. His eyes focused on the clouds. So he had always told the people at his village he believed in mermaids. He would have to change the story into merman. Then he snorted, with a grin on his face. He hoped there would be some crackers left in his boat.

 

* * *

 

 

This is some awesome pic from Picmurasaki, inspired by this fic. They're supposed to be younger in the fic, but well ... I guess that isn't so important here.

 


End file.
